The Plan
by Kadiedid
Summary: They have a fantastic partnership, an ever evolving friendship but can they transform their "thing" into a real relationship?
1. Chapter 1

It's another Monday morning and Kensi is awake well before her annoying alarm sounds. If she stopped to really think about it, she would realize it has been happening a lot more often lately. All those years she spent obsessing over the mystery of her father's death had caused an inordinate number of sleepless nights. She should be sleeping like a baby now that her father's killer had been found and subsequently put out of _her _misery by Assistant Director Granger. The recent rash of sleeplessness can only be attributed to one thing, or rather one person. Marty Deeks.

Why can't she get him out of her head? She tried everything imaginable to keep her mind off of his adorable smirk, beautiful ocean blue eyes and his tall, lean body. Inevitably her thoughts would drift back to something he said or to one of those "looks" he tossed her way daily. He had been her conscience and her rock throughout the ordeal concerning finding her father's murderer. She wouldn't have made it through the day without his help and support. She wanted, no, she needed to let him know just how much she appreciated him but she was afraid to go there. She was afraid that she wouldn't be able to talk about it without getting emotional. And she didn't do emotional. She would just have to settle for showing him she cared in little ways and hope he got the message. She also needed to concentrate on keeping her thoughts about him on a more appropriate and professional level.

The truth is that she enjoys the "what would happen if" daydreams she has about him. Nothing will ever really happen. It can't. For the sake of their partnership, it absolutely can't go any further than the daydreams. She just has to do a better job of controlling her thoughts.

Control. She's good at it, or at least she used to be. Every unpleasant experience in her life had caused her to erect a nice sturdy portion of a wall around her heart and soul. It was so solidly in place that nothing could crack it, or so she had believed. Somehow, her shaggy blonde haired, blue eyed partner had managed to worm his way around the walls and chip away at them. She closed her eyes and smiled dreamily at the thought of his arms around her and began to dream of what it would be like if he actually kissed her. Their lips are just inches apart in her lovely dream when the obnoxious beeping of her alarm clock shocked her back into the harsh reality of her day.

She jumped up, threw on some shorts and her exercise attire and prepared to go for her morning run. She drove to an area near the beach about two miles from her house. She didn't run in this area often because of security protocols but it was definitely one of her favorite running paths. Her hair was pulled back in her usual ponytail and her earphones blared out music from Coldplay, Daughtry and Nickelback among other favorites from her phone. Again she caught herself dreaming about Deeks and smiling despite herself. She didn't notice the two very cute guys who jogged past her at different points along the beach. They both pasted on their best smiles, hoping to catch her eye but she was oblivious and in her own world.

She finished her run and drove back to her house using a different route where she showered, dressed and subconsciously spent a little more time on her hair and makeup than usual. She grabbed her badge, gun and purse and headed to work.

She stopped at one of Deeks' favorite coffee spots and bought coffee for the team and also stopped at a bakery on the way and bought donuts for everyone. She made sure she had a couple of Deeks' favorites in there. He was always doing nice things for her and she rarely reciprocated but today she just felt the need to do so. She knew he would probably make some sort of joke out of it but she didn't care. That was what they did. The friendly, slightly suggestive banter between the two of them was comfortable and often very funny. She tried very hard not to laugh at some of his silly one-liners but she was finding it harder and harder to keep her smirk hidden. Cracks in the walls. She parked in her space and noticed that Deeks was already there. She checked herself in the car mirror, grabbed the donuts and coffee and headed into OSP.

"Good Morning!" she called as she entered the bullpen.

"Morning Kensi" Sam and Callen answered back.

Deeks jumped up and took the tray that carried the coffees and greeted her with "Morning Sunshine!"

He distributed the coffees to the appropriate agent's desks and made a beeline for the pink box of pastries she had placed on hers. He noticed that she had picked up his favorite donuts and suddenly froze. He slowly turned to look at Kensi wondering what was up and if there was some sort of prank involved.

"Umm…did I do something wrong?" Deeks asked.

Sam quipped, "I'm sure you have. Care to share?"

"Of course you did" said Callen and looked to Kensi for confirmation.

She looked absolutely clueless, "What? No he didn't do anything wrong."

"...Yet. Give him a few minutes" said Sam.

"Why did you get these particular donuts? Not that I'm complaining because I love them which is why I make all sorts of inappropriate sounds when I'm eating them but I can't help but wonder what the punch line of this joke might be" Deeks grinned.

"No joke, no punch line" she said.

"Wait for it….." said Sam with an expectant look on his face.

"Maybe you just like to hear me moan when I eat them" Deeks said as he flashed one of his famous smirks.

"What? No! You…I do not…you just….." she sputtered and felt a telltale blush creep up her neck which she tried very hard to suppress. It would have been much easier to hide if she had not had one of her daydreams that may or may not have included him moaning.

Deeks took a bite of the donut and proceeded to demonstrate rather loudly.

"OK, too much information" said Callen as he glanced at Kensi and noticed the shocked look on her face. He also noticed the blush and wondered, not for the first time, if something was going on between the junior partners.

Sam just snickered and said "I'm waiting for her to slug him. We can't start the day properly without Kensi punching Deeks."

Kensi was mortified. It would be a long time before she would ever get his favorite donuts again. She tried to compose herself and decided the best way to do that was to change the subject.

"Where's Hetty?" she asked.

"I don't know. I haven't seen her this morning. I'm sure she's floating around here somewhere" Callen answered.

Before they could speculate as to her whereabouts they were summoned by Eric's shrill whistle. "Got a case" he announced.

Sam and Callen headed up the stairs with Kensi following behind. Deeks grabbed her wrist before she could exit the bullpen and asked: "Hey, seriously, is everything OK?"

"Sure, why wouldn't it be?" she said.

"I don't know, you look…sort of….different…and ….never mind" he added hesitantly as he gently guided her toward the stairs.

She was happy to let it go at that. No way was she going to get into a discussion about her feelings. Especially not with him!

They entered OPS noticeably behind the other two agents who were staring at the door waiting for them to appear. Kensi ignored the stares and looked at the big screen as Eric and Nell started the briefing.


	2. Chapter 2

Deeks listened to the information Eric and Nell were sharing with the operatives but his mind was only half engaged. He was painfully aware of how close Kensi happened to be standing to him. He could smell her shampoo and it took everything he had to keep from turning to look at her beautiful face. He wanted to tell her that she looked beautiful this morning but when he tried as they left the bullpen, he chickened out and asked if she was okay. Part of him was afraid she would get mad and really slug him and the other was afraid that she would get mad at him for treating her like a "girl"… and then slug him. While they were partners and trusted each other implicitly, their friendship was actually fragile. _'That's not entirely true' _he thought. Their friendship was solid also but when he thought about it, it was the "relationship" that was fragile and the reason it was fragile was that they had not discussed it. Other than the one time he mentioned their "thing" after he had been "fired" the subject had not been brought up again by either of them. It was a loosely formed triangle. Both were afraid of ruining the other corners of the triangle. If the relationship was in trouble then it would affect the friendship which could and probably would ultimately affect the partnership. Neither one of them wanted to ruin any part of the triangle. But what if they actually defined the relationship and it made the triangle stronger? How would they ever know for sure and could they afford to take that chance? God knows he really wants to. He can't sleep at night for thinking about her. Most nights he has to get up and take a cold shower just to try to get to sleep. It was only getting worse but what should he do about it? What if they actually made the relationship work and the corners of the triangle were all so strong that the space inside the triangle actually became a truly happy life? He didn't really know what a happy life was. The closest he ever came to being happy was when he spent time with Kensi after work. They would often get Chinese or order pizza and go to one or the other's apartment and watch movies or cheesy reality TV. He looked forward to those times and was always sad when it was time to go home.

Kensi shifted her weight to her right foot and was now standing even closer to him. He shifted to his left and now their arms were barely touching but neither made an effort to move away. He was curious about the donuts and the blushing this morning but he would never mention it again. He would store it away in his memory and believe that it meant something special. He consciously made a decision right then and there in the middle of OPS. He would do what he could to move their "thing" forward. It would take some planning on his part and a lot of patience but he could handle that. He had waited a long time already and he was nothing if not patient. As he continued to listen to the briefing, his mind was already at work on his plan.

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><p>The case turned out to be one of the easier ones and was completed by early afternoon. Sam and Callen interviewed a petty officer about some missing weapons from Camp Pendleton. He seemed to cower from Sam and broke easily under the stress. Special Agent Sam Hannah could be quite intimidating when necessary but he also could be a teddy bear if the situation needed him to be.<p>

The afternoon was spent catching up on paperwork in the bullpen. Callen got tired of writing and challenged Sam to a sparring match in the gym. Kensi and Deeks were left alone. She noticed that he had been unusually quiet but was afraid to ask for fear of him bringing up what he obviously didn't finish this morning. She kept glancing up to watch his face but couldn't read him. He was almost as good about hiding things as she was…almost.

After the guys had been gone about ten minutes, Deeks looked up and caught Kensi looking at him.

"What?" he asked.

She could feel herself blushing again and looked quickly away.

"Nothing. I was thinking about heading to the firing range. Want to go?" she said, hoping she covered well.

"Sure. This can wait till tomorrow", he said as stood to join her.

As they walked down the hall to the range, he casually asked if she had plans for the evening, hoping she would assume he was expecting one of their usual "partner bonding" evenings in front of a rented movie.

"Nope, just relaxing in front of the TV," she smiled.

"Great, I will pick you up at 7:30 and we can go out to dinner," he said hopefully.

"Really, Deeks? Go out? " she asked.

"Sure, why not? I'm hungry and I know you are hungry so let's do this. It will be a change of pace. I'm buying. Please?" he pleaded.

"Okay, where are we going and what should I wear?" she was confused but excited at the same time.

"How about I surprise you? Just wear something you would wear on a first date. Not that this is a date, it is just two friends going out to dinner. Okay?" he asked tentatively, hoping she wasn't going to come up with a lame excuse.

She surprised him by smiling slightly for a very brief moment but then the walls came back up and she said; "Fine, but I'm not wearing those obscenely high heels and don't even get any ideas about after dinner because this is definitely NOT a date," she huffed.

"Fair enough," he said as they placed their targets on the pins and readied themselves for their session in the firing range.


	3. Chapter 3

Kensi raced home after they put the finishing touches on the paperwork from the case and immediately went to her closet. What was she going to wear? Why did she care? Why was she so excited and nervous about going to dinner with Deeks? There were too many questions and not enough time to deal with any of them except to figure out what to wear. She shuffled through the clothes in her closet and after laying several possible outfits across her bed, she decided on a burgundy colored casual dress, with spaghetti straps that accentuated her figure but wasn't so short that she looked like one of the aliases she often had to assume when she went undercover.

She showered and spent too much time trying to decide how she should fix her hair. Up, down, curled or straight? Why was she obsessing so much about this dinner? It was just Deeks, her partner. Her annoying, goofy, tanned, blonde, amazingly handsome and sexy partner. How did that thought start out so benign and transform into her daydream material? Yes, he was handsome and sexy and she was very attracted to his physical appearance. She had been attracted to him from the first time they met when he was Jason Wyler at the gym and nothing had changed that in the two years they had known each other. What had changed was her attraction to the man himself which had nothing to do with her physical attraction to him. He was caring, very thoughtful, extremely funny, loyal to his friends and great with the kids they happen to come across during cases. He had saved her life on several occasions and she knew he had an overprotective streak but secretly she liked it. She would never admit that and would make a scene if it was obvious to others what he was doing, but it was nice to know someone cared about you enough to risk their life for you which he had done on more than one occasion.

She snapped out of her reverie, finished her hair and started on her makeup. She had decided to put her hair up in a messy bun when she noticed how much time she had managed to waste. She applied a little more makeup than she had worn when she arrived at work that morning but that had been more than she usually wore on the job. Unless, of course she had to go undercover as bait which she truly hated. The only part she actually looked forward to was the look on Deeks' face when he saw her in one of those revealing outfits. Sometimes it was comical because he would stare and then look away quickly, hoping she hadn't noticed. Other times he just couldn't help himself from making the lewd, suggestive remark that everyone expected him to make. She would punch him or tell him to back off but deep down she loved it.

Despite her comment about not wearing high heels to dinner, she actually had a pair that she bought to go with this particular dress that were just as high as any she had ever worn. Deeks was tall enough that she didn't have to worry about them making her taller than him and she hoped that he would forget that she had made that particular remark.

It was 7:15 and she was ready. Now all she had to do was sit and wait for Deeks to pick her up. She tried sitting but her thoughts kept wandering and her nervousness was really bothering her. She ultimately decided to pick up her living room and make it more presentable to keep her mind off of the evening ahead.

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><p>Deeks had made reservations at one of his favorite restaurants near Venice beach. It was a quaint little family owned Italian place where he had worked on weekends as a waiter during his years at law school. He knew the owners well and often went there to eat and unwind after particularly hard cases. He had never taken a date there. It was his special place but he wanted to share it with Kensi. He had gone home and taken Monty on a short walk then showered to get ready for his evening with her. No it was not a date as far as she was concerned but for him it definitely was. He actually got out his blow dryer and dried his hair which he rarely did, and spent more than five minutes trying to decide what to wear. He didn't want to be too dressed up if she had decided to be casual but then he didn't want to be overly casual if she had decided to wear a dress. He finally decided to wear a light grey pair of slacks with a light blue, long sleeved, button up shirt but left it untucked.<p>

He grabbed his keys and gave Monty a quick pat on the head as he headed out the door. As he drove his Chevy Malibu to Kensi's house, he thought through his plan for the evening. It was nothing complicated but he still had to be careful not to push her too hard. He needed her to see him as something more than her partner and more than her friend. He needed her to believe that there could be something even better than what they already shared. It would be tricky but it would be worth it if it worked according to plan. The trick would be in trying to clean up the inevitable mess if it didn't.

* * *

><p>Kensi was so busy straightening up her apartment that she didn't hear him drive up. She had planned to be watching and just walk out to the car when he arrived. She was startled when she heard a knock on her door and stuffed the sheer, lacy bra she had just picked up under one of the cushions on the couch. She smoothed out her dress and answered the door.<p>

Deeks plastered one of his goofy grins on his face and was prepared to call her "Princess" as she opened the door but he was too stunned at what he saw. He knew she was gorgeous and sexy but he was blown away by her beauty and was absolutely speechless.

"Wow," was all he could say after he finally found his voice.

"You are absolutely beautiful," he said quietly as he looked into her mismatched brown eyes_. So much for playing it cool._

Kensi was having trouble finding her voice as well. Her heart was fluttering wildly when she saw the care he had taken with his hair and his shirt made his ocean blue eyes even more intoxicating. But the thing that made her smile and blush slightly was what he had said. He told her she was beautiful. Not that she 'looked' beautiful which could imply a temporary status but that she "was" beautiful which implied he thought it was a permanent condition. She was used to being referred to as 'pretty' and 'hot' and other rather immature forms of flattery but being told she was "beautiful" was special and extremely intimate coming from her partner.

"Thank you, I think," she fumbled. "You look….you clean up nice," she said lamely. She wanted to kick herself for her stupid over used remark.

Deeks let the comment go and lifted his elbow, inviting her to take his arm which she took gladly after locking the door behind her.

"Where are we going," she asked, hoping her stomach didn't growl too loudly.

"You are in for a treat and that is all I'm going to say about it right now. I hope you are as hungry as I am because it will be the best meal you have had in ages," he said confidently.

"Okay, but just don't make me try any weird stuff," she quipped.

He tried but he just couldn't keep the crooked smirk from appearing on his face.

"Deeks!" she cried as she punched the arm she had a grip on playfully.

He couldn't help but laugh and grin at her again. This was going to be a great evening.

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><p><strong>AN My first fan fic so please let me know if I should keep adding to this or stop right now. Reviews would be awesome!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N I own nothing and the extra characters are all figments of my imagination.**

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><p>They arrived at Taddeo's Restaurant where he pulled up and had the valet take his car. It was rather embarrassing with all of the other upscale vehicles in the area but he decided it was less awkward than trying to run around and open Kensi's door for her. He wasn't sure she was ready for that yet and wanted to avoid the argument over 'sexist behavior.' He thought it was called 'being a gentleman' but Kensi had a different view on things.<p>

They entered the restaurant and Deeks told the hostess his name. She gave him a smile and asked him to wait right there as she scurried off toward the kitchen.

A few minutes later, Taddeo came rushing up to Deeks. "Marty!" he cried and gave him a huge bear hug. "We have missed seeing you here lately. Where have you been hiding yourself?" he said with a thick Italian accent. Before Deeks could reply, Taddeo noticed Kensi standing just behind him. "And who is this lovely lady?" he asked taking her hand and placing a friendly kiss above her knuckles.

"Taddeo, this is my friend Kensi," Deeks replied.

"Kensi. What a beautiful name for such a beautiful woman. You must be a very special friend for Marty to bring you here. He has brought friends here before but never lady friends," he explained.

Now Deeks was the one blushing and it did not escape Kensi's notice. She thanked Taddeo and flashed a smile at Deeks which he returned with a slight shrug of his shoulders.

Taddeo led them both to a quiet table in the corner of the room with a view of the ocean then motioned for a waiter to come to them. "Antonio, will be your waiter for this evening and he will take care of my Marty and his lovely friend Kensi," he said with a wink at the waiter. "Please Marty, don't wait so long to come back next time and I hope you will bring Miss Kensi with you again." With that he again kissed Kensi's hand then slapped Deeks on the back as he headed to the kitchen.

They ordered their entrees and wine after Deeks made recommendations to Kensi.

"So how do you know Taddeo so well?" she asked.

"I worked here as a waiter and sometimes as a bartender on weekends while I was in law school. The tips were great and the food was free which is what got me through school. Taddeo was more like a father figure to me than a boss and I've kept in touch over the years."

"He is very nice and I can tell he is proud of you. What did he say when you changed from being a lawyer to a cop?"

"At first, he was not very happy about it, mostly because he was worried but when I told him I wanted to help change things before they became court cases, he understood and supported me completely."

Deeks looked at Kensi when he spoke but often had to look down at his wine glass because he was afraid she would see how nervous he was, not to mention being uncomfortable talking about his past.

He changed the subject and asked; "How are things going with your mother?"

Kensi sighed and thought about saying 'fine' but he had shared something personal and she felt it only fair that she do the same. "It's going well but there are times when it gets awkward. Fifteen years is a long time to catch up on and you would think we would have no trouble with things to talk about but sometimes…. Sometimes I can't think of anything to say."

"Maybe it's not that you need to talk about 'things' as in life events or people. Maybe you just need to try talking about silly, unimportant things. You need to get to know one another first, and then maybe the conversations will get easier with time," he offered.

"How do I get to know her if we have trouble communicating?" she asked.

"I've got a great idea. How about I take the two of you out for dinner and drinks this Friday? That way, it's not just a two sided conversation. It could give you a better perspective on your mother and I can help lighten the mood with my outstanding sense of humor," he quipped.

Kensi rolled her eyes at his last remark but she could see the benefit of having another person join them. "Okay, but please don't tell any embarrassing stories. I don't think we're ready for that yet."

"You mean more embarrassing than stories about 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' and your 'New Kid on the Block' crush on Joey?"

"How…how did you know about that?" she squeaked.

"Your mother told us that day at the boat shed," he grinned. "I keep picturing you in this green outfit, wearing a red mask and it really turns me on."

"Deeks! You are impossible!" she smiled and couldn't help but stare into his ocean blue eyes.

When their dinner arrived, Deeks realized that he was no longer nervous and the conversation had been comfortable and relaxed. It felt safe and real. He had not been able to tell a woman his real name in years, let alone what he really did for a living. Almost everything about his life had either been too painful to talk about or it was a complete lie so there wasn't much chance of a long term relationship with any of them. There were no such lies with Kensi. Maybe he hadn't exactly opened up about his past but until recently, she hadn't either. He knew he would have to tell her about it at some point but not right now. It could wait.

Kensi was enjoying the meal and was amazed at how wonderful it was. She was even more amazed at how much she was enjoying herself with her partner. One thing she did notice was that Deeks had given her his complete and undivided attention. Not once did he look at any of the waitresses or any of the beautiful women that had walked near their table. Normally, he would have looked and made some sort of comment concerning their appearance while whistling under his breath. He did none of those things. Now that she thinks about it, he hadn't really done that in quite awhile. He hadn't mentioned having house guests or hot dates lately either.

They finished their meal and when the waiter asked about dessert, Deeks said; "Whatever the lady desires," before Kensi could answer.

"I'm stuffed and can't eat another bite," she explained.

"She will take a strawberry chocolate cheese blintz to go," he politely told Antonio. "Trust me, when you get home and realize you should have ordered dessert, you will thank me later. That thing is amazing! Besides, maybe it will curb your appetite for donuts in the morning."

"Don't count on it," she smiled.

"Speaking of donuts, why did you really pick up my favorites this morning?"

She sighed and decided to tell him the truth. "Because I wanted to do something nice for you. I have a hard time telling people thanks. It's easier to do little things like that than to have a conversation about it."

"Thanks for what exactly?" he asked.

"For helping me with Granger and keeping my mother safe."

"It's what partners do, Kens. I'd do anything for you and I mean that."

"I know you do," she said as their eyes met, not looking away until the waiter arrived with her dessert in a container.

She took a peek inside and closed the lid quickly. She suddenly smiled and wished she had not ordered it to go. It looked wonderful and she really wanted to share it with him.

Deeks took care of the bill and tipped Antonio well. As they walked out into the cool night air, he asked if she wanted to take a walk on the beach.

She smiled and agreed as she took off her shoes to walk in the sand.

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><p><strong>AN Thanks for the reviews! They inspire me to keep going. Work is going to be crazy this week but I will try to update soon!**


	5. Chapter 5

When Kensi took off her shoes it was extremely obvious how high her heels actually were. Deeks couldn't pass up the opportunity to comment on her choice of footwear.

"So, you decided to wear the sexiest high heels you happened to have in your closet just to impress me? Or are you really just trying to seduce me?"

"Deeks, why do you have to ruin a perfect evening?" she huffed.

He raised his hands in surrender. "Sorry, sorry, I couldn't resist," he said as he flashed one of his smiles that melted her heart.

She laughed lightly and they continued to walk in silence along the beach and watch the waves lazily roll onto the sand.

There was a light breeze drifting in from the ocean and Deeks noticed the goose bumps on Kensi's arms. He decided they should probably head back to the car since she didn't have a jacket. He longed to put his arm around her shoulders to keep her warm but wasn't sure he should try.

"It's getting a bit chilly out here. Maybe we should head back," he suggested.

"Sure," she agreed and wrapped her arms around herself to warm her arms.

Deeks decided to take the chance and dropped his arm across her shoulders and pulled her in close to him. He was elated when she didn't pull away and they continued to walk back to the restaurant in silence.

They talked and laughed during the drive back to her house and he walked her to her door.

"I had a great time partner," he said as she unlocked her door.

"So did I," she said as she turned to him. He heart was racing and she couldn't help but hope he would actually kiss her. She was disappointed when she realized he was about to say 'goodnight' and walk back to his car when she had an idea.

"Want to come in and help me with that scrumptious dessert?"

One of his crooked smirks began to spread across his face as he said; "Why Fern, I'm shocked at what you are suggesting." He laughed at the look that appeared on her face and put his hands in his pockets.

She recovered quickly and said; "Ok, it's your loss because I can't guarantee that I will save any of the 'CHOCOLATE BLINTZ' for you," emphasizing the words, making sure he understood what kind of dessert she was referring to.

Keeping his hands in his pockets, he stepped closer, leaned down and kissed her softly on the cheek. "Goodnight partner. See you tomorrow." He smiled, walked to his car and headed back to his apartment.

Kensi waved as he drove away, closed her door and flopped down on her couch. What exactly had happened this evening? She was confused and happy all at the same time. She knew she needed to figure out exactly what was going on in her head but for now she just smiled and replayed the highlights of the evening in her mind.

Deeks arrived back at his apartment, closed the door and he too collapsed on his couch. 'The Plan' seemed to be moving along nicely but it was going to be harder than he had anticipated. Not because he thought Kensi was going to be a problem but because it was all he could do, not to touch her, hold her hands or hold her in his arms. He wanted to take her up on her offer for 'dessert' so badly but it could have ended up ruining everything. She needed to see him in a new light, not the old familiar Deeks. He wanted her to see him as Marty.

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><p>Kensi arrived at work the next morning a few minutes before Deeks and was greeted by Callen.<p>

"How was your date?" he asked with a grin.

"Wha….what date? I didn't have a date," she sputtered wondering if he knew about her night out with Deeks.

"You have that _'morning after a first date' _aura about you today so I figured you had a great night. Why the glow and smiles?"

"I don't have a glow and I definitely didn't have a date. Just dinner with a friend, that's all," she said defensively.

"Uh huh, whatever. Must have been some dinner."

Before she could reply Deeks came sauntering in with coffee and donuts. "Good morning all! This is going to be a fantastic day, mark my words."

Sam walked in from the gym just as Deeks arrived and asked, "Why are you in such a good mood this morning? Hot date last night?"

Deeks laughed and said, "No, no date, just dinner with a friend." He glanced quickly in Kensi's direction and noticed the look on her face.

Kensi cringed and kicked herself for not thinking to talk to him about what to tell the guys. They always seemed to know when she had been on a date. _No wait, it wasn't a date. Damn this was really messing with her head._

"Hmm. Kensi went to dinner with a friend last night too." Callen offered and waited to see Deeks' reaction. He had already seen Kensi's.

"Really? That's nice. Who with? Do I know him?" he asked sincerely as he looked at her. "Was he charming and dashingly handsome?"

She couldn't help but laugh and ask; "Who did you have dinner with? Was she blonde and ditzy?"

"Most definitely not," he said quietly and turned to wink at her so that no one else could see.

Before any other comments could be made, Hetty appeared and said "Good Morning," which resulted in everyone jumping slightly. She secretly enjoyed that she could sneak up on them whenever she wanted.

"At the moment we don't have any urgent cases, so I suggest you work on leads from some of the open cases today." With that she headed back to her office to make some phone calls.

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><p>The day was fairly quiet and uneventful. They had placed lots of phone calls and made a follow up visit to a victim but there was no new information gathered. Kensi was thankful that they had dropped the subject of her <em>'date'<em> last night and hoped that would be the end of it. "Hey, want to order pizza and watch a movie at my place tonight?" she asked as they drove back to the mission after their visit.

"Well, I was hoping to surf a little this evening. You are welcomed to come join me. I'd love to teach you how to surf." Deeks had offered to teach her many times before but she had turned him down every time.

"I'll pass on the surf lesson but I don't mind hanging out on the beach until you're done."

"It's a date then. No, sorry not a date but a… beach… outing… thingy," he offered lamely.

She laughed and they made arrangements to meet at the beach after they each went to their apartments to change and pick up the things they needed which included Monty.

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><p>She arrived at the designated spot and laid her towel in the sand next to his. She was trying desperately not to stare at him in his wetsuit but she was losing the battle.<p>

He noticed the way she looked at him when he arrived and couldn't keep the grin off his face. His grin, however was replaced with his own version of 'the stare' when Kensi removed her light cover-up and revealed her swimwear. She wore a tiny green and black print bikini that left little to the imagination. And he had a very active imagination when it came to Kensi.

Monty made himself comfortable next to her as she settled in and prepared to read a little while Deeks surfed.

Deeks managed to snap out of his reverie and ask, "You sure you don't want me to teach you how to surf?"

"No, I'm good. You have fun!" She said as she patted Monty on the head. He looked up at her adoringly.

"Even my dog is in love with you," he said as he smiled and headed out with his board.

Kensi sat still as he walked to the surf. _Love. Where did that come from? Did he just imply that he loved me? No, not possible. We're just partners. Yes, I love him as a partner and friend but he said 'in love'. _She shook herself and tried to concentrate on her book but after reading the same page three times she gave up. She watched Deeks as he surfed and was impressed with his skill and how he looked as if he belonged out there.

Maybe she should take him up on his offer to teach her to surf. She had been putting him off because she was afraid she would be really bad at it. She couldn't handle not being 'the best' at anything she did. It was part of her control problem. Who knows, maybe she would be good at it eventually. Not as good as Deeks who grew up surfing but it might be fun. She decided to mention it to him if the opportunity presented itself. She continued to watch him ride the waves and realized how content and relaxed she was. She could get used to this.


	6. Chapter 6

Kensi began to notice that Monty was getting fidgety. He kept getting up and walking toward the water but ultimately wound up turning back to look at her then sit back down again. Finally he walked over to Deeks' towel and nudged the Frisbee closer to her. She laughed, picked up the Frisbee and walked down to the edge of the water. She tossed the blue disk toward Monty and was amazed at how fast and agile the aging dog seemed to be. She laughed as he brought it back to her to throw again. They spent a good ten minutes repeating the process and Kensi was so engrossed in Monty's antics, she didn't notice that Deeks had snuck up behind her.

He had finished his last run and had been watching them for quite a while. He could have watched her for hours. She was beautiful and he loved watching her laugh at Monty. She didn't laugh out loud very often but when she did it made him love her even more if that was possible. He didn't think about the consequences of his next action. He just ran up behind her, picked her up behind her knees and her back and ran with her toward the ocean.

She screamed and punched him in the shoulder but placed her arms around his neck. "What are you doing?"

"If I threw you in the water do you think Monty would bring you back to me? " He smirked as he walked further out into the surf.

"You wouldn't dare! I promise you will regret it if you do!" she cried.

He really wanted to dunk her but realized she probably would make good on her threat and he was quite sure it would be painful or humiliating or both. He laughed and dropped her knees so that she was standing in knee deep water. She didn't immediately take her arms from around his neck. After a few seconds she realized what she was doing and dropped her arms to punch him again.

"Ow. Hey, I put you down," he whined, grabbing his shoulder and faking pain. He watched her smile ominously as she headed back up to their towels. He and Monty followed her like the smitten little puppies they were.

* * *

><p>After heading home, showering and feeding Monty, Deeks left his apartment, picked up their usual Chinese food order and headed to Kensi's house. They ate and watched TV for a while but decided that it was getting late and skipped the movie for the evening.<p>

"Hey. I just wanted to let you know that I talked to my mother about getting together for dinner Friday night and she said she was looking forward to it. You seemed to make quite an impression on her the day you met," she grinned.

"If you call me standing on her doorstep, fumbling and stuttering around like a nervous teenager making a good impression, then I'm your man," he quipped.

She smiled and said, "I think it is going to be a very interesting evening and I'm glad you thought of it."

"Don't thank me just yet. She may change her mind after spending more time with me."

She laughed and followed him to the door. "See you in the morning!"

"Good night Princess."

Little did they know that tomorrow would change everything.

* * *

><p>It started out as a normal Wednesday. In the middle of their donuts and usual morning banter, Eric whistled and said sadly, "This is a bad one."<p>

They all headed upstairs quickly, dreading what they would hear. Hetty was already there and Eric began immediately.

"We have a missing child. His name is Brandon, the ten year old son of Naval Commander Brent Samuels. He was abducted on his way to school this morning." Commander Samuels is working on a highly classified project and we think he was taken to extort information from him."

Nell continued but was rather subdued as she brought up photos of another child. They were of a pretty brown haired girl who looked to be about twelve or thirteen. "This is Emily Taylor. Her father was a naval computer tech working on the same classified project as Commander Samuels."

"When was she taken?" Callen asked.

"Monday morning. Also on her way to school. She was found this morning near a bridge in Santa Monica. They estimate her death at about twelve to fourteen hours after she was taken." Nell looked away as she pushed the button that brought the picture of the dead girl to the big screen.

Kensi audibly gasped as Deeks quickly looked away from the screen. Sam just closed his eyes and raised his head toward the ceiling. Her murder had been brutal. She had been beaten severely and her features were so swollen that she was completely unrecognizable. The pretty girl in the first set of photos was gone.

Callen asked Nell to put the first pictures back up and the silence in the room was deafening. He finally composed himself and addressed them all. "We have a very short amount of time to find Brandon. If this is what they do to children, then we can assume they don't care about anything but getting what they want. Kensi, you and Deeks go visit with Emily's parents. I know this is a terrible time but they might know something that could help. Sam and I will head over to Commander Samuels home. We need to do this quickly and please be extra careful."

The drive to the Taylor's home was unusually silent. Kensi was trying to steel herself for the interview but Deeks was lost in his own memories. Memories of beatings, broken bones and painful bruises.

"You okay?" Kensi asked after about ten minutes.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine."

"You won't let me get away with that, so I'm not letting you get away with it either," Kensi remarked.

"I just don't understand how anyone could do that to a child. What does it take for someone to become such a monster that they have no conscience left? That they can do those horrible things to anyone, much less a child and go on their merry way just to do it all over again? I've spent my whole life trying to figure that out with no real answers." Deeks just sighed and looked out the window.

"I don't know but we have to focus so we can find Brandon before they do the same thing to him."

"I know. I'm sorry. Really, I'm fine. We _will_ find Brandon. We have to."

The team visited with the families of both children. Kensi and Deeks were unable to gather any new information from the distraught parents and decided to stop asking questions. They were not emotionally able to answer them coherently.

Sam and Callen were able to find out a little more about what the Commander was working on but were unable to pinpoint who would profit from the information specifically. A myriad of other countries would be happy to know about the new advanced warning system they were developing but which country or radical faction was sick enough to do something like this was anyone's guess.

Four hours after Brandon was taken, Eric was able to find the van that had been used to dump Emily's body and managed to track it to an abandoned warehouse near the shipping docks through the traffic cam system. He sent the address to their phones.

Both sets of partners met up about half a mile from the warehouse and donned their protective gear and assault rifles along with extra ammo. They were afraid to call in back up for fear of Brandon's safety. They would have to do this alone and do it carefully. They weren't even sure Brandon was in the building but they weren't going to take any unnecessary chances.

Eric confirmed there were six heat signatures coming from inside the area near the parked van but he couldn't tell if one of them was Brandon. They silently made their way to the warehouse with Sam and Callen heading to the front while Kensi and Deeks took the back. There were no sentries at either door but Deeks noticed the back entrance was cracked open slightly. He whispered this information so Callen could decide the next move.

"Deeks, you and Kensi enter quietly and tell me what you see. We can't enter the front door without drawing attention," Callen informed them.

Deeks quietly pushed the door open and allowed his eyes to adjust to the low light inside the building. There was a large stack of crates just inside the door to the right and he motioned for Kensi to follow him. There was an enclosed office area against the wall to their left about half way across the large open room with a dark headed man sitting in a chair just outside the door. There was a gun sitting next to him on the floor and it looked as if he was playing a game on a cell phone. A poor excuse for a sentry. There were a few stacks of crates and boxes here and there but it was mostly empty. He quietly relayed this to Callen and waited for instructions.

"We need a diversion. Sam and I will try to get as many of them as possible to come out the front door. You and Kensi get to that office and see if Brandon is there."

Deeks looked at Kensi and she nodded. No words were needed. She would work her way around behind the sentry while Deeks covered her in case she was spotted. He didn't need to worry. The man was too engrossed in his game to notice her.

Kensi was hidden just behind the sentry when there was a muffled explosion outside the front of the building. They watched as the sentry grabbed his gun and jumped up but made no move to go see what was happening. A second later the door to the office flew open and three armed men raced to the front and looked out the dingy windows. When they couldn't immediately see anything from there they all three ran out the door and the sound of gun shots filled the air. Deeks raced toward the office as Kensi knocked the gun out of the sentry's hand and kneed him hard in the groin.

"Nice shot partner," Deeks grinned as he continued toward the office. Kensi cuffed the man and shoved him roughly to the floor.

He squatted down and took a quick peek inside the office but ducked back as the fifth man fired at him. He took off his rifle, grabbed his pistol and waited for Kensi to do the same. "I think I saw Brandon but the man is standing right in front of him."

"Is Brandon sitting or standing?" Kensi asked.

"Sitting," he replied. "On three?"

Kensi nodded and mouthed, "one, two….." On three they both entered the room simultaneously. Deeks came in low while she went in standing and both aimed high. The kidnapper never even got a shot off. Kensi hit him right between the eyes while Deeks hit him high in his chest and he slumped backward.

They raced to where Brandon had been sitting and pushed the man off of him. Deeks picked him up carefully and noticed that he seemed to be unharmed except for the bruising on his wrists. It was immediately apparent that he was in shock.

"Eric we have Brandon but we need an ambulance, now," he shouted. Deeks sat with Brandon in his arms and quietly assured him that he was safe and would see his mom and dad soon. The boy's eyes were glazed and he showed no signs of comprehending what was happening to him.

Sam and Callen rushed in and saw that the suspects had been neutralized. They loaded the sentry in the back of Sam's car to take him to the boatshed and called LAPD to come process the scene and the four dead kidnappers.

Deeks stayed with Brandon until the paramedics arrived then he and Kensi followed the ambulance to the hospital. Commander Samuels and his wife were on their way to meet them there and they needed to tell them what had happened.

After the emotional meeting with the Samuel's family, Deeks seemed to shut down. He answered Kensi's questions with one syllable answers if at all and she couldn't get him to talk about anything. Something was wrong and she didn't know what to do. They headed back to the mission. Hetty praised them for a job well done. They would sort through the paperwork and unanswered questions tomorrow.

"Go home and get some rest," she ordered.

Deeks mumbled something that sounded like 'good night' and quickly left. They all looked at Kensi for an explanation but she looked confused and worried.

They had spent the better part of three days together and she decided to give him some room. She wanted desperately to follow him and find out what was wrong but if he had wanted to talk about it, he would have told her already.

She went home, showered and sat on the couch with a tub of ice cream. She didn't turn on the TV and she only took a couple of bites of her precious 'rocky road'. She was too worried about Deeks. She checked her phone to see if he had called or texted but there was nothing. After about an hour of sitting and staring at the blank television, she decided she needed to get up and do something about it. She was going to see Deeks. If they just sat and stared at a blank TV together that was fine. He was hurting and she needed to make sure he was okay. He had been there for her when she needed him and now it was her turn to do the same. She grabbed her purse, keys, gun and badge and rushed to her car. She was upset with herself because she really should have done this two hours ago.

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><p><strong>AN Thanks so much for all the nice reviews. They are most definitely the best form of encouragement! Please keep it up!**


	7. Chapter 7

_**A/N Reviews are like chocolate! Let me know what you think!**_

* * *

><p>She knocked tentatively on the door to Deeks apartment but there was no answer. She knocked again more loudly this time but there was still no answer. He had given her a key so she could take care of Monty when he happened to be tied up with LAPD business and she used it to open the door. The lights were off except for a small lamp in the far corner of the living area. Deeks was lying on his side on the couch with Monty laying on the floor close by. She put down her purse and quietly walked over and knelt in front of him.<p>

"Deeks. Deeks are you okay?" she asked as she shook him gently.

"Hey Kens….wha…what are you doing here?" he whispered as he looked up at her.

She noticed his red eyes and sluggish behavior but saw no evidence that he had been drinking. "I'm worried about you. What's wrong?"

"I just..I don't know. The case…brought back some bad memories. Stuff I thought I had managed to forget."

"This is about your father isn't it? If you want to talk about it, I'm here. Or even if you don't, I'm still here. I'm not going anywhere," she whispered gently.

Deeks closed his eyes and tried to stop the tears but he was unsuccessful. Kensi reached out and wrapped her arms around him. As quiet sobs shuddered through him, she couldn't help but feel anger toward the person in his life that was supposed to love and care for him unconditionally. His father had broken his spirit in more ways than one and it was a miracle he had managed to find the strength to not only survive it but to also rise above it.

"Deeks, it's okay. I'm here….shhhh. He's gone and he's not worth remembering anyway. It's okay." She managed to kick off her shoes and climb up on the couch and lay beside. She pulled him closer to her and kissed him lightly on his forehead. He was a broken little boy and she needed him to find his way back to the man he had become.

"It's ok Deeks. You're not that little boy anymore. Sure he was a tough kid who put up a fight to survive but in a strange way, it made you a better man. You are the most caring man I've ever met. You're sensitive but that doesn't mean you aren't strong. You're tough and fearless and you are extremely protective and fiercely loyal. You are nothing like your father and you never will be. It's not who you are." She noticed that his silent sobs were beginning to slow down a bit.

"It's not good to keep all of that bottled up inside. Trust me, I know. I wish I had told someone about all of my secrets a long time ago, just to flush it all out of my system. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but maybe you could talk to Nate when he comes in next week. Maybe it would be easier to talk to a complete stranger, I don't know. Just don't let it ruin the wonderful person you have become. Because if you do, then that means he won. Don't let him win Marty." She felt him reach out and pull her closer to him.

After a few minutes, he seemed to stop crying and let out a ragged breath. "I do need to talk to someone about this," he whispered hoarsely. "I thought I had buried it so deep that it didn't matter anymore. But today when we saw that little girl…something inside just burst open and all of it came rushing back at me. Being locked in a closet for hours until my mom came home, the broken arms and ribs, the bruises….all of it. And the thought of someone doing those horrible things to Brandon was….unthinkable."

"I promise I'll talk to Nate when he gets here," he assured her. They lay in silence for several minutes. "Thank you Kens. For coming here…and…and….everything."

"It's what partners, do Marty. It's what friends do for each other." She felt him shift around to a more comfortable position but he made sure he kept her close.

"Please stay." It was spoken so quietly she almost didn't hear it.

"I'm right here Marty and I'm not going anywhere."

* * *

><p>The sunlight was beaming through his windows when Deeks finally woke up. At first he was confused and not sure where he was. He finally realized he was in his own apartment and smiled briefly when he saw Kensi, curled up in his arms. This is not exactly how he dreamed of sleeping with her but in some ways it was even better.<p>

His thoughts drifted back to yesterday and the depravity they had witnessed but he was so thankful for this beautiful soul who had come to help heal his broken one. She must have sensed that he was awake and slowly opened her eyes.

"Good morning Princess," he said with a slight smirk.

"Good morning Marty. How are you?" she smiled as he pulled her closer.

"Are you kidding me? This is the best morning of my life," he teased.

"Good. That means I can go back home and get ready for work," she started to get up off the couch.

He tightened his arms around her and said, "No, please don't go. Tell you what; you can shower here while I make us some pancakes, with that blueberry topping you like so much. We'll eat breakfast then I'll shower quickly. We can stop by your house so you can change and we can drive to work together."

"But my car will still be here," she reasoned.

"That's okay; it will still be here when we get off work. Hey, how about we stop at the grocery store on the way home and pick up stuff to grill some burgers tonight?" He mentally had his fingers crossed hoping she would agree. His 'plan' seemed to have taken a hiatus yesterday and he wanted to get it back on track. Even though it was hard to think about what had happened, it was really nice to know that she had called him Marty and not Deeks. She had done it again this morning and he hoped she would do it more often.

"Sounds good. Just don't get turkey burger stuff. I know it's supposed to be healthy but I hate it," she smiled.

He kissed the top of her head then swatted her on the butt. "Hit the shower girl while I flip some pancakes."

She laughed, kissed him on the cheek and climbed off the couch. She walked toward the bathroom while he grabbed Monty's leash to take him outside.

He was having trouble concentrating on making pancakes. _Kensi had stayed the night with him on the couch_. Of course it wasn't dream sequence material but it was exactly what he needed to get out of the black hole he had managed to fall into. He wanted to hold her and kiss her and tell her how much he loved her but that would have to wait. She's not ready to hear any of that yet. He had thought he was a patient man but now he's not so sure.

Kensi found the towels and wash cloths and got ready for her shower. As she stepped into the warm spray, she found herself lost in her thoughts. She had tried really hard to avoid defining exactly what it was that she felt for Deeks. Now she knows it has gone far past that of being just partners, friends or even best friends. The things that had happened yesterday and last night managed to open up a whole new perspective on her partner. It also made her realize her true feelings. Her heart tightened as the reality of it hit her. She was in love with him. _Totally and completely in love with Marty Deeks_. The thought alone should have scared the crap out of her but she was surprisingly calm….and happy. She was truly happy for the first time in a very, very long time. How this happened was a complete mystery to her but she didn't really care. She hoped he felt the same way about her but she wasn't sure. She would need to take it slowly. She certainly didn't want to ruin the best partnership she had ever had, not to mention their friendship. It was somehow freeing for her head to realize what had been in her heart for quite some time.

She finished her shower, redressed and walked to the kitchen. The smell of pancakes was making her stomach growl. She realized she hadn't eaten much yesterday other than a couple of donuts and two spoonfuls of ice cream.

"You want two or three?" he asked as his gaze lingered on her face.

"Three. I'm really hungry,"

He laughed as he flipped over another pancake and commented, "No surprise there. I've never seen anyone eat as much as you do and manage to stay so fit and beautiful."

She ducked her head and smiled. "Thanks….I think. What can I help you with?"

"There is juice in the fridge or you can pour us some of the coffee I just made."

She opened a cabinet door and found the coffee mugs on her first try. She poured them both coffee, added the appropriate amount of sugar each of them required, set them on the table then got out plates and silverware. He finished up the pancakes and placed three on her plate and three on his.

They talked and ate like this was the most normal thing in the world and not the first time this had ever occurred.

When they finished, Kensi told him she would clean up the dishes while he took a shower.

"You sure you want to take on that responsibility? I've seen your house, remember?" he said with his famous smirk.

She lightly smacked him on the arm and replied "Ha ha, you're a funny boy," and started picking up the plates.

He finished his shower, got dressed for work, fed Monty and they headed out the door. It only took about ten minutes for Kensi to get ready when they stopped at her place. He sat on the couch and started looking for the remote for the TV. He didn't see it anywhere and started digging through the cushions on the couch. What he found instead made him smile uncontrollably. A very sheer, lacy black bra. He was still smiling and inspecting the garment when Kensi walked in.

"Wha…where…give that to me!" she squeaked, blushing furiously and snatching it from him.

"Whoa, Princess. Don't be mad at me, I was just looking for the remote!" he laughed. "What else will I find if I keep looking?"

She tossed it into her room and ignored his teasing. "Let's go. We're going to be late if we don't leave right now."

He couldn't stop laughing and smiling as they walked to the car.

"We need to get our story straight in case the guys start questioning us again," Kensi sighed.

"How about I tell them that you came over and we slept together," he teased and was still laughing. "Can I tell them about the bra?"

She smacked him hard but couldn't help but smile. They drove to the mission but never managed to agree on a good cover story.

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><p><em><strong>AN I'm having so much fun with my first fanfic. This is rather addictive!**_


	8. Chapter 8

They were laughing as they walked into OSP together and were immediately aware of the stares from Callen and Sam.

"Good morning," Kensi said and smiled brightly.

"Good morning," Callen replied with a questioning look on his face. He watched Deeks closely; making sure his gloomy demeanor from yesterday was gone.

Deeks excused himself and walked to Hetty's office. "Morning Hetty."

"Good Morning Mr. Deeks. Are you better today?"

"Yes, yes I am but I wanted to talk to you about that. Do you know how Brandon Samuels is doing?" he inquired.

"I believe he is doing well but he is still in the hospital. I'm told it is purely precautionary. They intend to release him later today. Is there something you wanted to say?" she asked when he seemed hesitant to speak.

He sat up straight and gathered his courage, "Would it be okay if I went to the hospital to see him?"

"I believe Commander Samuels would probably appreciate your concern. I also believe that visiting Brandon would be beneficial to you as well. Take Miss Blye with you. We have some loose ends to tie up here so don't take too long."

"Thank you Hetty. We'll be back soon." Deeks walked back to the bullpen and to Kensi's desk. He quietly told her what he had discussed with Hetty. She gathered her things and followed him back to the car.

"Where are they going? They just got here." They had a lot of paperwork and a few interviews to wade through today and Callen was a little upset at their abrupt departure.

"Maybe Kensi couldn't bear to start work without her precious donuts," Sam shrugged.

"Mr. Deeks and Miss Blye are going to the hospital to check on Brandon and visit with Commander Samuels," Hetty had again managed to appear magically and cause them to jump. She delivered her message and disappeared just as quickly as she had appeared.

"You ever get the feeling there is something going on between Kensi and Deeks," Callen asked quietly.

"Define 'going on,' Sam replied.

"You know what I mean. Deeks seems to be less annoying and Kensi seems to be less bothered by his constant talking," Callen said defensively.

"Really? You think Deeks has been less annoying? Speak for yourself," Sam quipped smiling. "I think they are strengthening their partnership like good partners do. I just think they go about it differently than most."

"Differently how?" Callen asked with a confused look on his face.

"It's no secret that they tease each other constantly. Deeks uses humor to deflect subjects he wants to avoid. As long as he is teasing and baiting her, we know they're good. If that ever stops..." Sam said as he raised his eyebrows.

"You may be right," Callen conceded. "The question is what do we do if they cross the line?"

"Not our problem G. As long as they continue to do their job and do it as well as they have been, it's not really any of our business."

Callen sighed and nodded agreement. He would let it go, but he would definitely be watching. He was the leader of this team and it was exceptional. He wanted to make sure it stayed exceptional. He'd had his doubts when Hetty recruited Deeks but he should have known better. Hetty always thinks through every possibility and he should have trusted her remarkable judgment. Deeks had brought out the best in Kensi and his addition had made the team more complete and productive. A part of him wondered if Hetty had paired the two of them up for other reasons as well.

Kensi and Deeks met with Commander Samuels and asked about Brandon's condition.

"He's doing fine. At first he scared us because he wouldn't talk but when he finally realized he was safe, he slowly returned to being Brandon. He'll go through some counseling but we are confident he will recover fully."

"Do you think he would mind if I stuck my head in and said hi?" Deeks asked cautiously.

"I think he would be very happy to see you," the Commander replied. "Follow me."

Deeks motioned for Kensi to come with him and they walked down the hall to Brandon's room. As they entered the room, Deeks saw Brandon sitting up and a huge smile spread across his face. "Hey buddy, how are doing?" he asked as he held out his hand to shake Brandon's. "We were worried about you and just wanted to see if you were better today."

Brandon quickly took his hand with a firm grip and replied; "I'm good. Thanks for getting me out of there. I know I probably didn't seem thankful but I really was."

"No thanks necessary. We were very glad to find you." Deeks continued to chat with Brandon for a few minutes about computer games and other things little boys like to do. As Deeks got ready to leave, he held out his hand to shake Brandon's again. He was surprised when Brandon reached up, threw his arms around his neck and gave him a big hug. Deeks hugged him back and tried to choke down his emotions. "You take care of your Mom and Dad okay?"

"Will do Marty," he replied as he let go. He motioned for Deeks to come back close again and whispered secretively, "She's really pretty," he said pointing toward Kensi.

Deeks glanced back at Kensi and then smiled and winked at Brandon. "Yes she is, buddy."

Kensi just stood back and watched Deeks interact with Brandon. He was such a natural with kids. They seemed to be drawn to him and he made them feel important. She had no doubt that he would be a great dad someday. His father may have been scum, but Deeks would use those horrible memories as an example of how not behave. She couldn't help but feel intensely proud of him.

They returned to the mission and began plowing through the reports and follow up interviews. They were still unclear if the kidnappers at the warehouse were working alone or if they were just the muscle for someone else. They would continue their investigation into that question and at the same time, they informed the team working on the naval project to step up their safety measures for themselves and for their families.

"Hey Sam, you up for a beer?" Callen asked as they called it a day.

"I'm in," Sam smiled.

Callen looked over at Deeks, "You in?"

"I'm going to pass tonight guys. I sort of have plans already." Deeks didn't bother looking at Callen for fear of him figuring out he had plans with Kensi.

"How about you Kens?"

"No thanks. I'll take a rain check. I have a date with a tub of ice cream," she grinned.

"Yeah, that's what happens when she doesn't meet her daily recommended allowance of donuts," Deeks said with a smirk.

They all laughed and said goodnight.

Deeks stopped at a grocery near his apartment to shop for dinner. He and Kensi strolled through the store and picked up what they needed for their cookout.

"Are you sure we can't do turkey burgers?" Deeks asked as he picked up a package of ground turkey.

"You can eat all the turkey you want, just make sure mine is beef," she said playfully.

He smiled and put down the turkey. "Okay, okay you win this round, but I get to pick dessert."

"As long as it has chocolate in it, I don't care what you choose." She had never liked grocery shopping but she had to admit, it was much more fun with Deeks with her.

"How about chocolate dipped turkey?" he grinned.

She rolled her eyes and said; "How about chocolate dipped, double fudge, chocolate brownies?"

"I think the actual name for that one is 'death by chocolate'." Deeks smiled and shoulder bumped her as they walked toward the bakery.

She hip bumped him back and they just laughed and stopped in front of the dessert counter. He draped his arm over her shoulders as they chose cream cheese frosted brownies.

They checked out and drove to Deeks' place. They took care of Monty's needs before they emptied the grocery bags and began preparing dinner. He made the patties as she chopped the veggies. He had a small grill and a deck chair on the tiny balcony but it was cozy. They talked as he grilled the burgers and she sat and watched him. They enjoyed the sunset and the cool breeze.

It was the best burger she had ever eaten but she was pretty sure it had nothing to do with the actual burger. Being 'domestic' with him at breakfast and now at dinner seemed so comfortable and real. Is this what normal people did? She knew they were not 'normal' but maybe this was as close as it would get for them. It felt pretty good to her.

Deeks served the brownies and they settled down on the couch with their beers. He moved a little closer to Kensi than usual and before long he had managed to lay his arm behind her on the couch. They were engrossed in the movie 'Eagle Eye' when he placed his arm around her shoulders. He wasn't thinking about doing it. It just happened and he immediately thought he had screwed up. He was pleasantly surprised when she didn't pull away or smack him as he expected. He was pretty sure the smile on his face was permanent.

The stress of the last couple of days began to take its toll and before he knew it they were both dozing off. He decided to take a huge chance and hoped it wouldn't backfire. He got up from the couch, turned off most of the lights and the TV. He grabbed a blanket and sat back down on the couch.

Kensi just watched and wondered what exactly he was doing. She was so tired and really needed to go home but didn't feel like driving the fifteen minutes to her place. He sat down next to her then laid down against the back of the couch. He pulled her down next to him with her back to his chest and covered them with the blanket.

"Ummm, I really should go home," she said as she yawned.

He wrapped his arm around her waist and smiled. "Okay, but Monty will be really bummed if you leave."

"Well I certainly don't want to disappoint Monty," she mumbled.

"Good night Fern."

"Good night Marty."

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><p><em><strong>AN Thanks for the reviews. More of them would be awesome!**_


	9. Chapter 9

_**A/N Dinner with 'Mom' coming up soon!**_

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><p>Kensi was awakened by a screeching noise that can only be described as something you might hear when there is an imminent air raid. Her current sleeping arrangements became very apparent when she realized Deeks was leaning across her to reach for his phone on the coffee table.<p>

"Damn, I need to change that alarm tone," he mumbled sleepily. He pressed the snooze button and settled back in. "Go back to sleep. We've got a few more minutes."

Kensi relaxed and closed her eyes. Somehow she had managed to roll over in the night and had her head lying on his chest with her arm around his waist. She thought back to last night and remembered thinking there was no way she would be able to fall asleep with him lying next to her. A part of her had wanted to roll over and kiss him senseless but she remembered her vow to take things slow. Before she could overthink her situation, she had fallen asleep and it was the best sleep she'd had in weeks. She felt very rested and relaxed.

Deeks couldn't wipe the smile off of his face. She hadn't got angry when he pulled her down to sleep on the couch last night. She hadn't really put up a fight about going home and now that she was semi awake, she wasn't jumping off the couch and trying to run out the door. He was pretty sure his arm was numb because he had it under her all night but he didn't care. She was here in his arms and not punching him.

He groaned when the alarm went off again a short time later. He turned it off and pulled her closer to him. "What does the lady want for breakfast this morning?"

"I really need to go home to get ready for work today. I have to repack my 'go bag' and besides, if we show up to work together two days in a row we will never hear the end of it," she reasoned.

He was disappointed but she was right. As much as he wanted her to stay, it just wasn't feasible at the moment. Besides, he had some things to take care of to get ready for their evening with her mother.

"Okay, I get it. You sleep with me and then you run out. Women!" he laughed lightly and kissed the top of her head.

She smiled and lightly hit his chest as she looked up into his beautiful blue eyes. His hair was messier than usual but it was adorable. "Sorry, you know how it is. Love 'em and leave 'em."

She was surprised to see the playfulness leave his eyes and his smile disappear. He reached up and pushed a lock of her hair out of her eyes as he gazed into them.

"I hope not. I certainly hope not" he said quietly. He knew she was teasing but her comment brought unwelcomed thoughts of her leaving him to his head. He forced himself to look away from her beautiful face and resume the goofy grin he'd had earlier.

He gently kissed her forehead and said, "Ok then, let's get going. It'll take half the day to get the feeling back in my left arm."

She slowly crawled off the couch and offered her hand to help him up. Monty ambled to the front door and whined softly. Deeks grabbed the leash while she gathered her things and they both walked to the door.

"I'll come by and pick you up at 7:00 tonight then we can both pick up your mom," he suggested.

"We can take my car if you want. I'll even let you drive," she offered.

"What? Kensi Blye is allowing me to drive her precious car? It must be love!" he teased.

She tried to stop it but the blush crept up her neck to her face. "Don't push it or I might just change my mind," she pretended to pout, hoping he hadn't noticed.

They said their goodbyes and headed different directions.

"Well Monty, what do you think? Is the plan working so far?" They took a short walk and were on their way back to the apartment. "I agree. I think it is going much better than expected. Tonight could be tricky though. Wish me luck buddy!"

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><p>No one made any suspicious comments when either of them showed up about twelve minutes apart. Eric and Nell had been monitoring addresses of possible players in a case that wasn't quite ready to be presented yet while the rest of the team worked on the mystery of the kidnappers. The lone survivor still refused to talk. They weren't even sure what language he spoke and his cell phone had one game and one phone number that was a dead end. The game was in English so they were fairly certain he understood them.<p>

When quitting time rolled around, Callen asked Kensi, "So what big plans do you have this weekend?"

"Not sure past tonight," she replied.

"Ahhhh, you have a second date with that guy don't you? Kensi Blye is actually going on a second date," he said astonished.

Deeks looked up at Kensi and wondered how she was going to handle this.

"No, I'm not going on a second date. I told you there was no first date. We're taking my mother to dinner," she explained.

"We? Who's we?" Sam asked.

Deeks pretended to rearrange things on his desk and was afraid to look up. He was surprised she had slipped and said 'we'.

"We, as in me and Deeks," she said pointing back and forth between them. She had decided not to hide it. It was perfectly natural for her and her partner take her mom to dinner wasn't it?

"Whoa, Deeks is meeting 'the Mother'?" Callen said with his crooked grin.

"You forget, I've already met her. This is just a friendly dinner. What's the big deal?" Deeks was totally shocked she had told the guys.

"Whatever. Just be on your best behavior, man. You wouldn't want to screw up your chances," Callen laughed. He loved baiting the detective.

"Chances for what exactly?" Deeks asked.

"Hey, if mom doesn't approve, life can be pretty miserable for the boyfriend," Callen remarked slyly as he headed out the door.

Deeks, in his usual manner, deflected the topic away from himself and responded; "Wait, you have first-hand knowledge of this, yeah? Do tell, I want to hear all about it. Who was she? Was this recently or maybe, maybe it was when you were in high school?" He shouted after Callen.

Sam just grinned at them both, said good night and followed Callen out.

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><p>Deeks had to admit it. He was nervous. Callen's remarks had definitely hit a nerve and he was worried about making a bad impression on Kensi's mother. After his shower he trimmed his beard a little and again got out the blow dryer for his hair. He spent way too much time overthinking about what to wear. He finally decided on wearing a white dress shirt, with charcoal slacks and a black sports coat but with no tie.<p>

He took care of Monty, grabbed the items he had purchased for the evening and headed over to Kensi's house while sending up a little prayer for help.

She had come home that morning and decided to do a quick pick up of her apartment. She didn't want a repeat of the embarrassing 'underwear' incident from earlier that day. She had picked up all the dirty laundry and put it in the hamper, picked up all the junk mail lying around and took out the garbage before she left for work. Now that she was home, she decided to wash the dishes, dust and vacuum before she took her shower and got ready for the evening. She was a little surprised at how much dust there actually was. How long had it been since she had done this? Evidently it had been much too long because it took more time than she had allotted.

Now she was rushing around trying to get ready. She showered and dried her hair quickly. She chose a dark blue, sleeveless dress with a black sash at the waist. It came to about three inches above her knee but was very form fitting. It was low cut but not so low that it was tasteless. She had matching shoes that were high heels but not nearly as high as the ones she had worn on Monday night. She decided to wear her hair down and curled it as she put her on her makeup. It was five minutes to seven when she deemed herself ready. Her house looked decent enough but she decided to make the bed before she left. She hadn't done that in ages. Marty must be rubbing off on her. His apartment was always neat and tidy. _Marty. Did she just think of him as Marty and not Deeks? _She just shook her head and smiled. She must have it bad.

There was a knock on her door promptly at seven o'clock. She picked up her clutch, opened the door and her breath caught. He was so handsome it made her heart hurt.

He was again speechless. This woman could wear a potato sack and be beautiful but this was no potato sack and he couldn't breathe.

He finally regained his senses and said softly, "Again, you take my breath away." He wanted to kiss her so badly but was frozen in place.

She smiled brightly and said what she had wished she had said when she saw him the last time. "You are a very handsome man and I'm glad I'm with you tonight." She leaned in and pecked him on the cheek then handed him the keys to her vehicle.

He smiled at her and turned toward her car. He placed his hand on the small of her back and guided her gently to passenger side. He opened the door for her and held her hand as she stepped inside. He carefully closed her door and walked around to the driver's side thankful that she had allowed him to do that for her.

Which they reached her mother's house, Kensi was surprised when he pulled out a single, long stem red rose.

"Do you think if I give her this, she'll think its cheesy?" he asked sincerely.

"I think it is absolutely adorable and so will Mom," she smiled sweetly.

They both walked to the front door and rang the bell. Julia Feldman answered the door with a huge smile and immediately gave Kensi a hug then turned and gave Deeks a hug that took him by surprise.

"Hello Detective, it is good to see you again," she smiled.

"It's good to see you again Mrs. Feldman, but please call me Marty." He bowed slightly and handed her the long stemmed rose.

"Oh, my! How thoughtful of you. And please call me Julia. Come in, come in. I'll go put this in a vase then we can go."

As they walked into her house, Kensi turned and winked at Deeks.

He smiled at her as they waited for her mom to put the rose in water. This night was about Kensi and her mom. He wanted to make them both very comfortable so that conversation between them would be easy and relaxed. He had to keep that in mind which was going to be hard to do. All he really wanted to do was lavish attention on Kensi but he would do that another time. He had already planned to ask her to go on a proper date sometime soon.

Julia returned and Deeks held out his elbow for her to take it. He led them both to the passenger side of the car and put Kensi's mom in the front seat and Kensi in the back.

They pulled out of the driveway and he asked her how the repairs to her house were coming along. There had been extensive damage to the stairway and front entrance the day they caught Kensi's father's killer.

She told them it had been repaired completely within a day of the incident and was very pleased with the work. She wasn't sure who had ordered the repairs but she was grateful.

Deeks was sure it was probably Hetty but he wasn't going to mention it.

They arrived at the Japanese restaurant and were seated immediately at a round table. He held out the chairs for both of them and sat to Kensi's left. They order sake and an appetizer and took a few minutes to study the menu.

Kensi couldn't help but look at Deeks and smile. This was such a great idea and it was going very well. He was the perfect gentleman and she wondered, not for the first time, where he had learned his manners. She made a mental note to ask him about that someday.

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><p><em><strong>AN Just a reminder that I own nothing! **_


	10. Chapter 10

_**A/N …..ooh la la! Warning! Not exactly M rated but close….**_

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><p>They ordered from the menu and Deeks began telling embarrassing stories about himself when he was in law school and the police academy. The women laughed and Julia told a few stories about Kensi when she was little. Kensi even told a few on herself during her college sorority days.<p>

Deeks couldn't help but smile and watch Kensi as she told the story of dumping a particular boyfriend because he told her he was a vegetarian. He had never seen her laugh at herself and it was so unbelievably cute.

The evening passed way too quickly. As they prepared to leave, Kensi and her mom made a quick trip to the ladies' room.

"I have had such a wonderful time tonight. Thanks so much for inviting me to come," she told Kensi with a smile.

"This was all Marty's idea Mom."

"He is a very sweet and thoughtful man. I can see why you are so in love with him," she commented.

"Mom, he's just my partner. Yes, we are friends but we are not a couple."

Julia just smiled sweetly and took both of Kensi's hands in hers. "Honey, he can't keep those amazing blue eyes off of you and the look on your face when he cracks a joke warms my heart. I don't think I've seen two people more in love in my life!"

Kensi lowered her head briefly and then looked up at her mother. "I do love him Mom but I'm scared. I'm scared if I tell him, it will change our partnership not to mention having serious repercussions with our careers."

"Kensi, baby. Life is too short to worry about the 'what ifs'. If you love him and I _know_ he loves you, then you need to let him know. He's probably afraid to tell you for the same reasons."

She hugged her mother and choked back her emotions. "Thank you Mom. I'm so glad I have you back in my life."

Deeks took care of the bill and waited for them to return to the table. He hoped the evening had helped Kensi with the awkwardness in her relationship with her mom but he also had to admit that he'd enjoyed himself very much in the process.

As the women returned, he again offered his arm to Julia and they walked back to the car. They continued with their easy conversations all the way back to her house and they both walked with her to the door.

"Marty, I have had the most wonderful time this evening. Thank you so much. I would invite you inside, but I have an early morning tomorrow." She again gave him a big hug and as she looked over his shoulder at Kensi, she gave her a big wink.

"Kensi, you take care of this guy and bring him back sometime soon." She gave her a big hug as well but held on a little longer than usual.

They told her goodnight and walked back to the car where Deeks continued his old fashioned good manners and opened the passenger door for Kensi.

She was very excited about how well the evening had gone and kept bringing up some of the things her mother had said during dinner.

"Thanks again Marty for taking us out tonight. Mom is funny and interesting and I found out a lot of things I didn't know about her. It was perfect."

"Glad to help. I had a great time too. Did you really break up with a guy because he was a vegetarian?"

"Yes, I did. I don't like it when I eat more than my date."

He laughed and said, "I've seen you eat and that list of potential dates must be really short."

She playfully smacked him on the arm as they pulled up to her apartment. He asked her to wait so he could open her door again. She laughed and agreed but it took him a little longer than she expected to come around to her side.

He helped her out of the car and walked her to her door. She thought he was reaching into his coat to get out her keys but instead he pulled out another long stemmed rose. He handed it to her and said shyly, "I got one for your Mom, but it didn't feel right not getting one for you too."

Kensi took the rose and realized she was close to tears. Happy tears. Her eyes were glistening as she looked up at him. "Thank you Marty."

Deeks was completely lost in her eyes and he's not really sure what happened next. He felt himself lean toward her but he had no control over his actions. He cupped her face in his hands and his lips met hers in the most sweet, intoxicating kiss of his life. He felt weak in the knees and he was quite sure this had never happened to him before.

Kensi was touched by the rose but when she looked into his eyes she was past the point of no return. She leaned toward him and he met her half way. She put her arms around his neck and melted into the kiss. She felt like her heart was going to stop. This is what they meant by 'a kiss that curled your toes'.

Deeks pulled back slightly when he realized they needed air but kissed her again only this time it was more insistent and full of promise. He pulled back and they stood with their foreheads touching. "I should go," he whispered.

"I know you should. But I'd really like for you to stay," she said shyly. She took her keys from his coat pocket and opened the door. She reached out, took his hand and pulled him inside with her.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked quietly as he closed the door behind him. "I want you to be sure because I want this more than anything but only if you're ready."

She pulled him closer to her. "I think I've wanted this for a long time but just wouldn't let myself believe it was real. This is very real to me Marty and I don't want to lose it."

"You won't lose it Kens. This is real for me too. More real than anything I have ever experienced."

He kissed her again and she thought she was going to faint. Her heart was beating so fast she could hardly breathe.

She reached up and pushed his coat off his shoulders. He slipped out of it and tossed it to the floor never breaking the kiss. She kicked off her shoes and reached up behind his neck and ran her fingers through his hair.

He shuddered slightly as her hands played with his hair. The kisses became more demanding as his hands slid down her sides to her waist. He pulled her to him tightly and wrapped his arms around her.

He pulled back just enough to untie the sash on her dress and she began unbuttoning his shirt, placing kisses on his chest with each one she unhooked. She untucked his shirt, pushed it off his shoulders and arms and dropped it with his coat.

He pulled her close again for another breath taking kiss and reached around her back. He began to slowly unzip her dress then stepped back to look at her as it fell to the floor. His breath caught as he saw her standing in front of him in just a lacy bra and panties. She was even more beautiful than he had imagined. He reached for her and kissed her hard. Their tongues were urgently searching and exploring.

He kicked off his shoes and began slowly walking them toward the bedroom.

She reached down and began unbuckling his belt, then slowly unzipped his pants. As they fell down around his feet, he kicked out of them and continued to the bedroom.

When they reached the door, he picked her up and carried her to the bed. He laid her down gently then pulled off his socks and lay down with her. They soon rid themselves of their last remaining clothing and began caressing, kissing and exploring each other's bodies.

The sound of her little whimpers and moans were going to be the end of him.

"Marty, please… now… please."

He kissed her again as they fell into a slow languid rhythm. The tempo gradually increased until she stifled a scream which sent him over the edge soon after. They lay in each other's arms as their bodies cooled and continued to kiss each other.

So this was what making love really felt like. No one had ever been as tender and loving with her while meeting her needs before theirs. Not even Jack before the PTSD. This wasn't about sex. It was about love and it was absolutely the best night of her life.

"You okay Kens?" he whispered.

"Better than okay," she said as she placed kisses along his collarbone.

"I think I'm dreaming. Please don't wake me if I am. I want to stay like this forever," he said smiling. He had teased her before about his dreams of her but none of his dreams had remotely compared to the real thing. He had been with his fair share of women. Some of them he might even have been slightly serious about, but none of them could hold a candle to Kensi. He was connected to her in a way he couldn't explain. What they had just experienced was off the charts as far as his expectations. This was love, not just sex and he had never known how that felt until now. It was something he wasn't willing to ever give up.

"I love you Kensi." He blurted it out before he could think it through. What if she wasn't ready for that and it scared her away? He was thinking of a way to minimize the damage when her words melted his heart.

"I love you too, Marty."

He kissed her tenderly and began to show her just how much he loved her…again.

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><p><em><strong>AN This one will probably wrap up in a couple of chapters but I'm thinking of doing a sequel. I really want to see how they go about keeping this a secret from the rest of the team! From where I sit, it looks hilarious. What do you think?**_


	11. Chapter 11

_**A/N Again I own nothing but reviews are awesome!**_

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><p>Saturday morning dawned on a whole new life for Kensi and Deeks. A life that included each other. It was a new concept for both of them. They both admittedly had been loners for most of their adult lives which made their newfound relationship an adventure to be sure.<p>

Deeks awoke to find Kensi facing him, curled up in his arms. The memories from last night came flooding back and he smiled contentedly. This was how he wanted to wake up every morning for the rest of his life. Kensi stirred and he kissed the top of her head lightly.

She realized she wasn't alone and looked up suddenly to find Deeks smiling and watching her. "Hey," she said dreamily as she snuggled in closer to him.

"Morning sunshine!" he said happily. "You good this morning?"

"I'm fantastic," she smiled up at him happily.

"Yes you are," he agreed with a grin. "We slept a little late and I really need to go tend to Monty. He probably has his little legs crossed by now," he said with his crooked smile. "How about we go to my place, take care of Monty then spend the day at the beach? I could teach you to surf."

He was shocked when she said yes. "Really? You mean it?"

"Sure. Just promise me you won't laugh at my clumsiness," she said sincerely.

"Scout's honor! I'm just happy you're actually going to let me teach you."

"I'll try anything once," she said before she thought.

He couldn't stop the goofy smile that slowly spread across his face. She punched him lightly on the arm and said, "Don't go there!"

"I didn't say anything!" he laughed as he defended himself.

She laughed with him but then her tone turned serious, "What are we going to tell Sam and Callen?"

"That we had a nice dinner with your mother," he said seriously. "This is between us and I don't really want to share it with anyone else right now."

"I'm so glad. I want to keep it just between us too. And maybe Mom," she replied.

"You feel comfortable enough to tell her about us?" he questioned.

"She was the one who told me to take a chance and tell you how I felt about you," she offered shyly.

He was genuinely surprised, "When did she tell you that?"

"Last night after dinner. She said it was obvious how much we were in love with each other."

"So I have your mother to thank for the best night of my life? That's kind of…kinky," he laughed.

She rolled her eyes and asked, "If my Mom noticed it, what if others notice it too?"

"That's easy," he replied. "We just make sure that when we're around others, we 'pretend'"

"What do you mean?"

"It's what we do everyday Kens. We pretend to be someone else or pretend to sympathize with someone we'd rather strangle. We'll use a cover of how we've acted around them for the past two years and just make sure we're in character when we need to be."

She mulled it over then said, "That should be easy enough. It's not like we have many opportunities to be alone when we're at OSP. So we have to keep our hands to ourselves," she grinned. "Besides, there are cameras everywhere anyway."

"Except in the showers….and the burn room…and the storage room," he commented.

"And how do you know that exactly?" she asked laughing.

"Let's just say that some of those fantasies I had about you may or may not have included us finding a private place at work."

"That doesn't explain how you know those places don't have cameras!"

"I couldn't picture us making out in a room that actually had a camera could I?"

She was laughing so hard he couldn't help but laugh and pull her closer to him. "I meant it when I said 'I love you' Kensi Marie Blye," he said then kissed her gently.

She reached up and ran her fingers through his hair then smiled dreamily, "I love you too Martin Andrew Deeks. But I think I might need some convincing," she said provocatively.

"I think we need to try out your tiny little shower. It could be very interesting. You did say you would try anything once!" he said as he dodged her playful punch to his arm.

She got up and he followed behind her as she grabbed his hand and led him into the shower with her.

As they were getting ready to leave Kensi's apartment, Deeks stopped suddenly and looked around her living room. "When did this happen?" he asked.

"What?"

"Did you hire a cleaning service or something?"

"No, I cleaned it yesterday. What's the problem?" she asked.

"Who are you and what did you do with my Kensi?" he teased.

She pretended to kick him then pushed him out the door.

They took his car back to his apartment and Monty met them at the door whining. Deeks grabbed his leash and took him out immediately. Kensi went to the kitchen and started the coffee maker. She was so unbelievably happy but at the same time she was worried about what would happen if the team found out they were now a couple. She figured Callen and Sam would be furious with Deeks because they thought of her as a little sister. If they ever did find out, she would have to make sure they knew this was her decision too and that it wasn't fair to blame Marty. Besides, this wasn't something they had taken lightly.

Deeks returned with Monty who made a beeline for Kensi. She rubbed his neck and apologized for making him wait so long to go outside. Deeks couldn't help but laugh at their 'conversation.'

He went to his bedroom and quickly changed into a swimsuit and t-shirt. He gathered the other items they would need for a day at the beach then scurried to the kitchen for some coffee and whatever he could find to make them for breakfast.

He was surprised to see she had made toast and cut up some fruit they had picked up at the grocery store on Tuesday.

"Wow. Cleaning, now cooking. I really don't know who you are," he quipped as he came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed the top of her head.

She turned around to face him and put her hands on his shoulders. "I'm a woman of many surprises."

He bent down and kissed her firmly. "No argument here."

They finished their breakfast, loaded up Monty and the surfboard and drove to his favorite surfing spot. They found a place on the beach and laid out their towels.

It was a warm day and Kensi just wanted to relax on the beach for a while. "Why don't you go surf for a bit first? I know you are dying to catch some of those waves. I'll stay here and hang out with Monty. We've got all day to start lessons." She began taking off her cover up to reveal a bright blue bikini.

He walked toward her and put his arms around her waist. "I'm not sure I should leave the most beautiful woman on the beach here alone. Although, I almost feel sorry for the poor sap who tries anything because he has no idea you would kick his ass." He smiled and kissed her again.

They put on sunblock and took turns putting it on each other's back. He couldn't help but smile as he thought back to over a year ago when they were undercover on the beach and she was so adamant about him not putting lotion on her.

"I'll be back soon," he said as he headed toward the surf.

Kensi watched as he slid across the waves effortlessly. She was really nervous about trying to learn to surf. What if she was terrible at it? She was a control freak and if she wasn't good at something she would avoid it at all costs. She couldn't bear to look weak or clueless about anything but she had agreed to at least try and she would keep her word.

Before long, she and Monty were napping soundly. She didn't hear when Deeks walked back up to them. He sat on the towel next to her and began shaking his head so the water sprayed all over her.

She squealed and jumped up surprised, then punched him on the arm. He grabbed her and pulled her down on top of him and kissed her hard. He smelled of sun and salty sea and she wished they were someplace private. He broke the kiss and grinned, "Are you ready to learn to surf from the master?"

"I'm as ready as I'll ever be. If you tell anyone how bad I am at this, I'll put graffiti on your surfboard," she teased.

His lips curled up in his famous crooked grin, "Really? Grafitti? We're making progress. You didn't threaten to break bones or remove any vital body parts!"

She smiled provocatively. "Maybe I have a vested interest in keeping those body parts intact."

"Good to know," he said and pulled her close to kiss her again. He forced himself to break the kiss, for fear of being accused of indecency on a public beach. "We better get going."

He spent the next hour teaching Kensi the basics about balance and the process of hopping up on the board. They paddled out and tried a couple of times to get them both up on the board but were unsuccessful. He finally decided just to let Kensi try it alone and was surprised when she managed to jump up on it on her first try. She didn't stay up long but he knew she would be surfing with the best of them in no time.

She tried a few more times and stayed up a bit longer with each ride. She was ecstatic. It wasn't perfect but at least she didn't totally suck at it and she really was enjoying herself.

"Woohoo!" he shouted as he caught up to her on the beach. He picked her up and twirled her around. "You were awesome! I can't believe you are doing so well on your first day!" He was grinning from ear to ear. "Want to try again?"

"I really want to but I'm exhausted and starving."

"Now that you mention it, I'm hungry too. Let's get Monty and walk to the sidewalk café just down the beach. We can eat lunch, relax a while then come back and surf some more this afternoon."

"Sounds great!" Monty ran to meet them as they neared their towels. They gathered their things, locked them in the car and walked down the beach with Monty following close behind. 

They had a nice lunch and did a lot of people watching. They decided that there were some really strange characters wandering around the beach.

The second round of surfing went a little better than the first but she was really tired and had trouble hopping up on the board at the right time. She finally decided to go back and play Frisbee with Monty for a while and let him surf some more.

It had been a perfect day. No cases, no pretending, no walls to worry about keeping up. Kensi knew that she would cherish the times when it was just the two of them because it was going to take some work to keep their relationship a secret.

They took the car to her place so she could gather some clothes and other essential items and then drove back to Deeks' apartment. He fed Monty then they 'tried out' Deeks' slightly larger shower. Afterward they collapsed on the bed and fell asleep almost immediately.

It was dark when he awoke. Kensi had her back to his front and his arms were around her. He snuggled closer and sighed happily. Kensi was in his arms, in his bed and all was well with the world. At least with his world. He wanted to stay here forever and forget about the evil they deal with every day but he knew it wasn't possible. They were both driven to keep bad things from happening to people. It was what had made them who they were today. It was what had brought them together. He pushed away the thoughts that haunted him concerning her safety. He couldn't make any changes to the way they worked together. He was protective of her but if he became over protective, it would ruin their partnership and ultimately everything else. It was going to be hard to control but he had to remember that she was as tough as she was beautiful. And she was most definitely beautiful.

He reached for his phone on the night stand and ordered a pizza then got up and got dressed. He gently shook Kensi awake and told her that pizza was on the way.

They spent the evening cuddled up on the couch watching movies. They had slept together every night in some manner since Wednesday and there was no discussion about whether or not she was staying tonight. This just felt so right. 

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><p>They had been so engrossed in each other and so comfortable during their day at the beach that they hadn't noticed the man watching them. He had followed them to her house and now to his. He sat in his car down the street and watched the apartment well into the night. He knew where they both lived now. When the lights went out in the apartment he drove off into the night. He would use this information for his advantage… and use it soon. <p>

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><p><em><strong>AN To be continued in "The Secret". Please review.**_


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